Improvement in projectiles



. UNITED STATES,

' HENRY vBarns, or New PATENT Grrrcn..

LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRQJECTI LES.

To all 'whom it may concern:

lBe it known that I, HENRY BATES, of New London, in the county of NewLondon and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newl and usefulImprovements` in Bombs and other Projectiles 5 and I do hereby declarethat the following' is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecication, in which- Figure l is a side view of a bomb-lance forwhaling having my improvement applied. This view represents the lance inits flight. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same in thecondition it is in while in the gun. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 representmodications of some of the details.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in'the severalfigures.

This invention consists-n1 the attaohme rit to the butt-end of a bomb`or other projectile of similar character of a spiral spring-'or coil ofwire, which, whenthe -projectile is placed in tha gun from which it isto be discharged, is compressed together and lies close to the-projectile, but which, when the projectile is discharged, is caused,either by reason of its own elasticity or by the resistance of theatmosphere, to extend itself in the form of a tail some distance in rearof the projectile, where, by the resistance it meets with from theatmosphere, it serves to direct and steady the Hight of the projectile.

The invention further consists in preventing the fuse from being blownthrough the fuset'ubes of the bomb by the discharge of the gun, andthereby ignitiug the charge of the bomb before the latter leaves the gunby bending the said tubes after the insertion ofjthe fuse therein.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

A is the body of the bomb; B, the lance- Apoint, and (l the butt-end. Dis the spiral or coiled wire tail, which is attached securely to thebody its butt-end that the whole length of the wire may be coiledoutside the bomb, between the point ot' attachment and the buttend, assho.wn in Fig. 2. The part of the body ofthe bomb from the point ofattachment of the wire of the bomb at such a distance from to thebutt-end is madeso much smaller than the other part that the exterior ofthe coil of the wire D shall be no larger in circumference than theexterior of the greater portion /o'f the length of the bomb, and hencethat the bomb may be inserted with the coil around it into the gun fromwhich it is to be fired, and yet fit properly'to the bore thereof. Iprefer that the wire D shall be coiled so as to require compression ofthe coil to `insert it into the gun,-as shown in Fig. 2, and'then `itwill tend to extend itself, as shown .in Fig. l, by its own elasticityas soonl as it is discharged. The coil is held compressed while inthe.gun 4by the friction of the bomb gun.

`The outline of the bore of the guny is represented by two lines, e eYin Fig. 2.

E is awasher or disk, which may be of metal, leather, or other materiai,0'1" a-size to nt' easily to thebore of the gun, attached to the rearextremity of the coil so as to compel the spring to be discharged withthe body of the bomb. This washer, after the discharge, serves as amedium of resistance to the air, to assist in the extension of the tailand guidaneeof the bomb.- It is perforated to allow the fire to reachthe ends of the fuse.

G G, Fig. 2, are the fuse-tubes, two in number, soldered or otherwisesecuredto the butt ofthe bomb and extending nearly to the front 'of thechamber thereof, to convey the re to the front of the charge and tocontain the greatest practicable length of fuse. The fuse 'F is made toiit these tubes as tightly as it can be drawn into them, after which thetubes are bent in the serpentine manner showuvin Fig. 2, or in thespirallnianner shown i'fi Fig. which represents a tube detached, and bythat means it is rendered impossible for the fuse to be blown throughthem by the discharge of the gun, as, iu `addition to the obstructionthat is offered by the bends, the' tubesare made to bite upon the fuseby the flattening which is, to'some extent, sureto be produced in themby the act of bending.

lo insure the tiringn of the charge in the bomb I propose to employ acompound fuse, of which Fig. 4 is a side View and Fig. 5 a transversesection, composed of three single'strands' of `simple fuse.

I do not claim the attachment to a projectilevv in the bore of the` ofaA tail to be inserted with it into a gun and to be extended afterleaving the gun,v as I am aware that tails of such character have'beenapplied to guu-harpoons for whaling purposes; but

to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The employment of a tail consisting of va.l spiral spring or coil 'ofwire applied to the` bomb. or other projectile, substantially as an forthe purpose herein set forth. v

What I claimv as my inventiomvand de'silie 2. Securing the fuse in thefuse-tubes of the bomb by-bending the said tubes after the insertion ofthe fuse therein,substantially as herein described. i

HENRY BATES.

